At least some manufacturing processes employ robot assembly to assemble certain apparatus. For example, batteries can be assembled using a robot assembly. The robot assembly includes at least one movable robotic arm capable of performing an action on a part, such as drilling or welding. Conventional robot assembly employs precision tooling, fixture or pallets, that allows the robot to handle parts at preprogrammed positions and orientations. That rigid, costly part locating also restricts the flexibility of robot assembly to a specific or single apparatus.
Robot assembly with camera vision for part position guidance is the new way to assemble parts without precision, expensive part locating hardware and thus make production more flexible and cost effective. However, capturing and processing vision images takes time and proper setup for the desired accuracy and reliability of robotic guidance. It is therefore useful to control the robotic arm manipulation and vision process cohesively in order to optimize the manufacturing process and thereby minimize the time necessary to completely assemble an apparatus using the robotic system.